On 9/11, F-16 Pilot Heather Penney Was Prepared to Take Down United Flight 93

In September 2001, Lt. Heather "Lucky" Penney was a 26-year-old rookie with the 121st Fighter Squadron of the D.C. National Guard, at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. For the daughter of a combat �pilot who'd served in Vietnam, it was a dream come true. But in one of the lesser-known stories of the 9/11 attacks, Penney found herself called upon that day to do something she had never anticipated: Stop a hijacked commercial airliner with 40 passengers and crew onboard. Now a mother of two and an executive at Lockheed Martin, Maj. Penney, 39, speaks about her experience.

We had a skeleton crew that Tuesday. It was very quiet. We were in the middle of a meeting when Dave "Chunks" Callaghan, who ran the operations desk, stuck his head in and told us, "Somebody just flew into the World Trade Center." We looked outside; it was a crystal blue day. We wondered how anyone could mess up their instrument approach that badly. It wasn't until he opened the door again and said a second plane had crashed into the second tower that we knew it was on purpose.

After the Pentagon was hit, the Secret Service called and ordered us to get airborne. We had an idea there was another aircraft coming toward Washington. Because we'd just returned from a training mission in Nevada, there weren't any missiles or bombs or high-explosive bullets on the airplanes and it was going to be a while before the weapons people could get the missiles built up. My commander, Col. Marc "Sass" Sasseville, looked at me and said, "Lucky, you're with me."

I was thinking this was the one thing in my life that I had to get right. I had already given myself up, knowing what my duty was.

Sass said, I'll take the cockpit"--meaning he would ram the airliner. I knew I'd take the tail. If you take the tail off an airplane, it can't fly.

Our duty was clear--to protect and defend. I don't remember being told, "Go take down that airliner." All I remember is �knowing for sure that's what we had to do. It wasn't until later that day that we received "free-fire"” orders, meaning we could fire upon [anything] that we considered a threat.

We couldn't find the plane, so we went back to D.C. to make sure it hadn't snuck around us. Then we helped set up a protective cover over D.C. We were airborne for about four and a half hours, �landed, and took off again in �aircraft configured with missiles. It was a long time before we learned that the passengers had taken control of the aircraft from the terrorists.

They were true heroes. Because of what they did, we didn't have to. They averted further tragedy, confusion, and chaos and thwarted those who would do our nation harm. These were average, everyday Americans who gave their lives to save countless more. That selflessness reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, that there are things in this world more important than ourselves.

At first I was disgusted by the sensationalism and fear-�mongering that the media stoked in the wake of 9/11. It utterly desecrated our nation's experience and I wanted nothing to do with it. But when I reflect back now, I think about the many moments of heroism and bravery from everyone whose lives intertwined with the events of that day. And I am proud and heartened to know that there truly is nothing unique about what Sass and I did. All over the country, active duty [service members] and
reservists responded on 9/11. If I hadn't been there, �another airman would have been and just as honorably done their duty. We were not the first and we are not the last.


http://parade.condenast.com/335417/billhewitt/on-911-f-16-pilot-heather-penney-was-prepared-to-take-down-united-flight-93/

normal people do heroic things everyday,, so true

It is so true and these stories, told so long after the fact, really strike a chord...